Category: OFF Alerts

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Trump Becomes Hillary Clinton

03.01.18

Lies, Platitudes and Cliches.

Yesterday’s gun control summit with Donald Trump and members of Congress was a frightening display of ignorance, arrogance, and deceit.

You would be hard pressed to find another example of so many people in positions of power expressing so little knowledge of the facts and so much willingness to ignore them.

Donald Trump said “Take the guns first, go through due process second.”

 

He promised to violate the law and the Constitution with an executive order banning “bump stocks”, encouraged Diane Feinstein’s new ban on modern firearms, pushed for an increase in age for long gun purchase, spoke approvingly of a national firearms owner’s license, called for an expansion of the failed background check system, and repeatedly (and incorrectly) noted that the reason more draconian gun control language had not passed before was because he was not President then.

(Elsewhere Feinstein said of a bill she is sponsoring with Jeff Flake:

“If you can’t buy a beer, you shouldn’t be able to buy a weapon of war. While we need to do much more to reform our gun laws, ensuring teenagers can’t legally buy weapons of war is a commonsense step forward.”

She made no mention of the fact that 18 year olds can vote and are issued “weapons of war” and sent into battle by the same people who want to deny them the right to own a rifle.)

Trump endorsed the “Extreme Risk Protection Orders” that passed in Oregon thanks to Republican Senator Brian Boquist who also believes that “due process” is an unnecessary intrusion on the state’s ability to confiscate firearms.

Trump said he “had lunch” with the NRA and “thinks they’re on board.”

In short, Trump is now promoting virtually everything Hillary Clinton campaigned for and is shoving a large knife in the back of the people who elected him.

Trump repeatedly stated that he wanted a “big,” “strong,” “beautiful” bill. But only one “comprehensive” bill.

Many, even some in the gun rights movement, believe that this may be a masterful ploy by Trump. That he is playing “three dimensional chess.”  They think that by insisting on one massive bill it reduces the chance of passage because there will be something in the bill for everyone to object to. But when Congressman Steve Scalise suggested that national reciprocity be considered as part of this “comprehensive ” bill, Trump brusquely dismissed the idea saying it would prevent the bill’s passage.

So while Trump did state his support for allowing school employees to be armed if they were permit holders, he also made clear how little regard he has for them.

Gun owners now face staggering risks to their rights and property because numerous government agencies refused to take action, either intentionally or through mind-boggling incompetence, and did nothing about a dangerous, violent, felon who posted his intentions to “become a professional school shooter” on the internet.

Because of their failures and those policies of ignoring reality, Trump, and many members of Congress, want to eviscerate your rights.

He cannot be allowed to get away with this.

Call Trump today at 202-456-1111 or 202-456-1414 and tell him that you do NOT support one word of the gun control measures that he’s promoting. Tell him that he was elected because he promised to oppose everything he is supporting now.

You can also contact the White House via webform at https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

You can cut and paste the suggested message below or modify as you like:

I am a law-abiding citizen, and I am contacting you to voice my strong opposition to any of the gun control schemes currently being discussed. This includes banning “bump stocks, “  or raising the minimum age for firearms purchases,  so-called “universal background checks” or reinstating the unconstitutional and failed ban on modern firearms.

Stop listening to the ignorant and deceitful nonsense you are hearing and work on real solutions. You don’t stop evil people by stealing the rights of good people.

I demand that you end this talk about gun control.  I will be monitoring your actions on this matter through alerts from The Oregon Firearms Federation.

 

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Time Is Almost Up

02.19.18

Bloomberg /Brown Confiscation Bill Fast Tracked

HB 4145, the Bloomberg/Brown gun confiscation bill will get a hearing and work session tomorrow at 8am in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

If the past is any indication, the anti-gun organizations have been alerted to the timing of the hearing long before it was officially posted and are no doubt already planning to bus in rent-a-mobs to fill the room.

Once again, due to the large anti-gun crowd expected, the hearing will be in Room 50 in the basement of the Capitol building. If you can possibly attend, please do.

 If not, please consider emailing your testimony in opposition here:  sjud.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov  

HB 4145 is not designed to protect victims of domestic violence. It is designed to do one thing, disarm the law abiding.

In the House, anti-gun zealot Jennifer Williamson said that existing law “protects” those who are falsely accused. Well it certainly did not “protect” Shane Morgan of Bend.

Shane was the subject of horrible stories like this and this. There was only one problem. Every single accusation was a lie.

Was the women who made these false allegations prosecuted? No. The DA said he did not want to “discourage” people from coming forward with these kinds of allegations.

This is an outrage and sadly not an isolated incident.   

So far, Knute Buehler, who represents Bend in the House and wants to be your next Governor, and who supports this dangerous legislation, has been silent about this travesty.

We have very little time. The Democrats are fast tracking the bill and hoping to peel off a few weak kneed Republicans.

If you can be at the hearing please come. But if not please submit testimony and take action here.

 

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Bloomberg Brown Confiscation Bill Moves To Senate

2.19.18

HB 4145, the Bloomberg/Brown gun confiscation bill has passed the Oregon House and is now in the Senate.

As you know, three House Republicans joined the Bloomberg funded Democrats to pass this dangerous bill.
They were :

Knute Buehler ,(who wants to be your next governor,)

Richard Vial and

Julie Parrish.

We expect the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by rabid anti-gun extremist Floyd Prozanski, to pass the bill out of committee over the objections of the Republican members. Given the speed at which bad bills are racing through the legislature, we believe this will happen very fast.                                            

You can learn more about why this bill is so bad here.

Please help us fight this gun grabbing outrage by using this link to send a message to the Oregon Senate.

 

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Gun Confiscation Bill Passes Oregon House

02.15.18

HB 4145, Kate Brown’s gun confiscation bill, passed the Oregon House today on a 37 to 23 vote.

The bill got the vote of every House Democrat except Caddy McKewon,  who has supported previous gun confiscation bills. She must be reading her mail.

Republican Andy Olson, who voted for the bill in committee, listened to his constituents and voted NO on the floor. If you live in Olson’s district you may want to let him know you approve of his change of position.

Three Republicans joined the Democrats and voted yes on this dangerous and pointless attack on your rights. They were Richard Vial, Julie Parrish and Knute Buehler.

As you know, Buehler is running for governor against Kate Brown, although based on his vote today, it’s difficult to understand why. We already have one leftist anti-gun candidate. Seems like no reason for two.

As you might expect, the floor debate included a lot of opportunistic tears and disgraceful exploitation of the horrific murders in Florida yesterday. The fact that this legislation had absolutely nothing to do with crimes of this kind didn’t matter. Never let a catastrophe go to waste.

Democrat Jeff Barker, one of the co-carriers of the bill  once again recounted a story of a domestic violence crime scene he responded to as a police officer. It really was a terrible and tragic story. And nothing in this bill would have changed the outcome of that crime in any way.

Democrat Jeneen Sollman tearfully recounted growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father who chased her and her mother out of the house tossing ice chests at them.  A story we would all agree is heartbreaking, but once again, unless her parents were living together after the issuance of a restraining order (which is not legal) a story that had absolutely zero relevance to this bill.

The bill now moves over to the Senate. We have no intention of letting up the pressure to stop this attack on the safety of women and the rights of gun owners.

The sad and ignored fact is that there is not a single word in this bill that would make a victim of domestic violence any safer. There is not a single word to protect the rights of the falsely accused. It is nothing more than another blow against freedom and common sense.

Stay tuned and active. We will continue to inform you of this bill’s progress and what you can do to stop it.

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Brown’s Gun Theft Bill Delayed

02.14.18

HB 4145, Kate Brown’s gun confiscation bill, was scheduled to be voted on today in the Oregon House.

However the bill has been pushed back to tomorrow’s floor session.

While this is potentially bad news since it’s possible they delayed it to have time to make it worse, it does give us at least one more day to voice our opposition to this dangerous legislation. 

We told you about the dangers of this bill in a previous alert. 

Please take a moment to express your opposition to HB 4145 one more time. 

Take action here. 

Today in the Senate Judiciary Committee, SJM 202 was passed on a party line vote. We told you about this pointless but expensive attack on gun rights here. It was sent to the Rules Committee in an apparent procedural move to prevent Republicans from offering substitute language. We still urge you to voice your opposition to it. You can do that using this link.

Bad things are happening fast in Salem. Please make your voice heard now.

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If You’re Accused, You’re Guilty.

02.13.18

HB 4145 is scheduled to be voted on tomorrow in the Oregon House.

If passed, this bill would allow anyone you have ever had an “intimate relationship” with to demand that your firearms be confiscated.

As you know from a previous alert, people who make false allegations of abuse face very little chance of being prosecuted for their crimes. That’s what makes this bill so dangerous. If you are accused, you are guilty.

Republicans Richard Vial and Andy Olson joined the gun grabbers and voted for this bill in committee assuring it would go to the floor for a vote.

You may want to take a moment to express your outrage that they would vote to attack the rights of the people who elected them to appease the anti-rights left that controls the Oregon Legislature.

You may also want to urge Republican Leader Mike McLane to do all he can to assure that no more Republicans abandon their constituents and vote for this nonsense.

But please take just one moment to send a message to the whole House that you oppose this senseless and dangerous assault on your rights, your freedom, and common sense.

Take action here.

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SAY NO TO SJM 202

2.12.18

One Wednesday, Feb 14, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing for SJM 202 at 8AM. (This is the same day the full House will hear HB.4145, the Governor’s confiscation bill.)

This “memorial” urges the US Congress to “regulate rapid fire enhancing accessories, such as bump stocks, in the same manner as fully automatic weapons.” It is the work of Senate President Peter Courtney.

As anyone with any knowledge of firearms knows, a “rapid fire enhancing accessory” could be an aftermarket trigger or even your finger. Of course it could also be a rubber band.

With a bit of practice a shooter can learn to “bump fire” a firearm with no accessories.

The “memorial” also calls on Congress to regulate 80% lowers as though they were actual complete firearms.  It calls on Congress to require background checks on “partially completed firearms kits” and  prohibit the transfer of a “completed firearm without a serial number and background check,” something already prohibited under Federal law.

This memorial is clearly the work of people who have no idea what they are talking about.

The “memorial” has no force of law, but it certainly is a roadmap for what we can expect from the legislature in the future.

The Oregon Democrats are using your money to urge Congress to restrict your rights and they are doing it in your name.

This is an outrageous misuse of taxpayer dollars.

Please take a moment to let the Oregon Senate know how you feel about this.

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Confiscation Bill Moves to Full House

02.10.18

As you know, the House Judiciary Committee has passed the amended HB 4145 to the full House.

The committee, which is controlled by Democrats, was assisted by two Republicans who voted to move the bill forward.

They were Andy Olson and Richard Vial.

Republicans Sherrie Sprenger and Bill Post stood up for your rights and voted “no.”

Duane Stark was excused, but that counts as a “no” vote as well.

It is hard to overstate the danger this bill presents, just as it is hard to overstate how deceitful or ignorant its proponents are.

The bill as passed out of committee extends the definition of “family member” to anyone you have ever had an “intimate relationship” with in your entire life.

This was done to create a larger universe of people whose gun rights can be taken if someone requests a protective order against them. The bill also calls for firearms confiscation of anyone “convicted of stalking under ORS 163.732”.  This does not mean someone who has violated a “stalking order” this means anyone who had an order sworn out against them no matter what they had done.

Of course, the bill contains not one single word of protection for people who are falsely accused, and there are plenty of them.

The proponents of the bill claim that existing law protects the accused because making a false report is a crime.  Tell that to Shane Morgan.

On Feb. 9 the Bend Bulletin published a lengthy story about the hell he went through when a girlfriend, Kambria Armstrong, created an elaborate web of lies to destroy his life.

The story reminded readers of past headlines. “Bend man accused of forcing teen into sex work” and “Court records detail deranged, illegal relationship.”

According to the Bulletin; “The fallout was swift and severe, he told The Bulletin through his lawyer, Jamie Gerlitz. He lost a job. His roommates kicked him out. He felt scared everywhere he went. But it became clear the stories told by Morgan’s accuser, Kambria Armstrong, were not believable.”

After months of torment and legal nightmares the truth came out.  So what happened to his accuser? What happened to the woman who fabricated these vicious lies?

According to the Bulletin:

“(DA)Hummel said his office considered charges of filing a false police report against Armstrong. He said he decided against it in part because it would have been difficult to prove her misstatements were intentional. He also said he worries doing so could have a chilling effect on survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, who might worry no one will believe their accounts and they’ll be charged with a crime.”

This is an outrage and exactly what we have been warning the legislature about. Domestic violence, like any violence, is a deadly serious issue. People who are victims of abuse or who are genuinely in fear for their lives deserve all the protection they can get. But this bill is a charade. This is not about keeping women safe. And the people pushing this travesty know it.

Time after time we hear stories of the victims of abuse and violence. And time after time it is clear that this bill would have prevented virtually none of it. The backers of this bill keep perpetuating the dangerous fantasy that a piece of paper will keep a woman safe from a dangerous and violent attacker. Yet, from the supporters of this bill, we keep hearing stories of people who either violated protective orders, or were never subject to them in the first place.

Even the Chairman of the Committee, Jeff Barker, justified his support for the bill by recounting an incident of domestic violence he responded to as a police officer. What he did not mention was this bill would have had no effect whatsoever on that incident or its outcome.

HB 4145 protects no one. If the State of Oregon wanted to protect women it would stop squandering millions on fiasco projects and failing agencies and spend more on services and shelters for victims of abuse.

If it wanted to protect women it would not  prohibit them from having the means to protect themselves or subject them to indefinite delays to acquire self defense tools. It would not require them to wait a month and a half to be allowed to be armed when they leave their homes. But the Democrats in the legislature have rejected efforts to provide those tools for at risk women.

What HB 4145 does is create new and more dangerous tools for vindictive people to steal the rights of those who have done nothing wrong. Because there are already plenty of laws to address people who have done something wrong.

Please use this link to contact the members of the Oregon House and tell them in no uncertain terms that you strongly oppose HB 4145 and the damage it will certainly do.

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Brown’s Confiscation Bill Passes Out Of Committee

02.09.18

Kate Brown’s firearms confiscation bill,  HB 4145 passed out of the House Judiciary Committee today with the help of Republicans Andy Olson and Richard Vial.

Representatives Post and Sprenger voted no, Representative Duane Stark was excused.

The bill included the “dash 2” amendment which made the bill only slightly less awful.

Under the “dash 2” amendment a person who DID NOT contest a restraining order would not automatically lose their gun rights as they did in the original bill.

Militant anti-gunner Jennifer Williamson expressed her disapproval of the amendment and promised to keep working to expand gun prohibitions.

The bill still requires people who have been the respondents of “stalking orders” to give up firearms even if they have never violated the order.

The bill still expands the definition of “family members” to anyone you have ever had an “intimate relationship” with.

This is still very, very dangerous legislation.

We will follow up soon with suggested actions to fight this bill in the full House.

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Not Too Late To Take A Stand

02.07.18

The House Judiciary Committee  heard HB 4145  today .

After two hours of testimony led by the Governor (who requested this bill) they held off a vote until Friday.

That means you have time to contact them one more time and express your opposition to this dangerous legislation.

This bill will expand the definition of “family member” to anyone you have ever had an “intimate relationship” with in your entire life. Those people will now be able to request orders that prohibit you from owning a firearm!

The law punishes people who comply with stalking and restraining orders. It’s just plain nuts.

We know these orders are used to harass people and are often based on false allegations, we also know judges in Oregon rubber stamp them and virtually no one is ever prosecuted for providing false information.

The clock is ticking but there is still time to voice your opposition.

You can still send testimony against HB 4145 to:

hjud.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov .

You can take instant action against the bill by clicking on this link .

Please do it now.

 
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Take A Stand Against Gun Confiscation Orders

02.05.18

As you know, the House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear HB 4145 on Wednesday at 1pm in Hearing Room 50. (Hearing Room 50 is in the basement of the Capitol Building.)

You can rest assured that the room will be packed by a rent-a-mob bussed in by Michael Bloomberg.

The committee has announced its expectation of a large turn out and as such will start taking sign ups for testimony at noon.

If you plan on testifying, please arrive early.

Here is what you need to know about HB 4145.

This bill has been extensively marketed as “closing the boyfriend loophole.”  Since it’s not the “intimate partner” loophole, or the “lesbian lover” loophole it’s clear that this bill is targeting men, men who own firearms.

Currently the law allows the state to confiscate firearms from people who are the subject of orders that prohibit them from “stalking, intimidating, molesting or menacing an intimate partner.”

Oddly, under Oregon law, “intimate partner” does not mean a person with whom you are having, or have had, sex. “Intimate partner” means the person’s spouse, the person’s former spouse, a parent of the person’s child or another person who has cohabited or is cohabiting with the person in a relationship akin to a spouse.

This bill seeks to expand the list of people who are “protected” by a restraining order to “family or household members.”  What this means is that if the person who gets the restraining order against you is a “family or household member” you will now be prohibited from owning firearms.

While this would seem to make little sense, when you look at the definition they want to use for “family or household member” you’ll start to understand. Here it is:

      “Family or household members” means any of the following:

      (a) Spouses.

      (b) Former spouses.

      (c) Adult persons related by blood or marriage.

      (d) Persons cohabiting with each other.

      (e) Persons who have cohabited with each other or who have been involved in a sexually intimate relationship.

      (f) Unmarried parents of a minor child.

You read that right. Under this bill, anyone you ever had a sexual relationship with is now your “family member” and can request an order that forbids you from having firearms.

But that’s not the worst part. The worst part is a little detail from page 1 of the bill.

On line 10 the bill adds the following language to the law:

(ii) Remains in effect after the person received notice of the opportunity to request a hearing in which to be heard on the order, and declined to request a hearing during the time period in which the opportunity was available;
(emphasis added)

What this means in English is this,

If a court issues a restraining order against you under current law, you have the option to contest it to attempt to “prove” your innocence. You will most likely lose, but you have the option. However, under Federal law, if you do this and the order is upheld, you lose your gun rights under Federal law.

However, if you don’t contest it and the court has not ordered a gun prohibition, you don’t lose your gun rights. In other words, if you agree to comply with the order, no matter how false the accusations, you don’t automatically lose your gun rights. 

Under the section quoted above, you lose your gun rights even if you comply.  And this is the whole point of this bill and something the anti-gunners have been pushing for 15 years.

At one time they were actually pushing legislation that would allow the person who requested the restraining order to force you to contest it just so they could strip you of your rights under Federal law.

Make no mistake, this bill has nothing to do with keeping women safe. As anyone who lives in the real world will tell you, restraining orders don’t keep people safe. And this state actually punishes women who are real victims of domestic violence by forbidding them to be armed to protect themselves.

But restraining orders do provide a convenient and easy way for angry people to ruin other people’s lives, force them from their homes and steal their property.

The reality is that people who comply with a restraining orders are not dangerous and  dangerous people will ignore restraining orders and any weapons prohibition.

But safety is not what this bill is about. Punishment and harassment of gun owners is what it’s about.

Note that nowhere in the bill is there a single word of protection for the falsely accused.

This bill is quite simply a pay-off from Kate Brown and her fellow travelers in the Oregon Legislature for the big bucks Mike Bloomberg used to buy elections.

That’s why it’s so important that you make your voice heard to oppose this bill as written.

If you can come to the hearing and testify, that would be the best thing, but just showing up helps. If you cannot come you can upload your testimony against the bill via email at:

hjud.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov .

And you can take instant action against the bill by clicking on this link.  

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First Anti-Gun Bill Gets Hearing

01.31.18

The House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing for HB 4145 on Feb 7 at 1pm in Hearing Room 50. This is the bill Kate Brown requested to repay Michael Bloomberg for the $250,000.00 dollars he sent her.

The bill is intended to strip rights away from even more gun owners who have never been convicted of a crime. To read more and take action click here.

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First Gun Bills Of 2018

1.22.18

We have seen the first anti-gun bills of the 2018 legislative session. You can see them here.

As always we will continue to update this list as more gun control bills are added.

The first is a “Senate Joint Memorial” by Peter Courtney calling on the US Congress to ban or regulate modern firearms as well as “devices” that allow firearms to shoot more rapidly. As you know, these devices include shoe laces which the ATF as determined are actually machine guns. (No, this is not a joke.)

The second, HB 4145, requested by Kate Brown, vastly expands the category of people who will be prohibited from owning firearms. We will monitor these and any new bills and keep you informed of their progress.

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Protect Your Rights. Vote NO!

12.28.17

The Oregon Firearms Federation urges a “no” vote on Measure 101.

You might be wondering why OFF would take a position on a tax measure. Bear with us and we’ll explain.

No matter what your personal feelings are about a liberal policy that fines you if you don’t have health insurance and taxes you if you do, no matter if you can afford to add an “assessment ” to your already staggering health insurance premiums, no matter if you are willing to overlook a misleading ballot title and an election date that was engineered by liberals in Salem to undermine the voting process, this measure will have a profound effect on your gun rights in 2018 and beyond.

Here is why.

While the “short” session held in even numbered years was sold to us as simply a way to deal with urgent budget issues, it is anything but. There are no limits to the issues, no matter how complex, that can be voted on in short sessions.

We have seen over and over how votes are taken on issues that have not been adequately studied and examined. Measures are rushed through the legislature with little opportunity for public input and little time for legislators to fully understand the ramification of their votes.

The anti-gun majority in Salem has made no secret of their intention to continue their assaults on your gun rights, and thanks to out of state billionaires, they have the votes to do it.

Pro liberty forces are outspent 10-1 by money coming from New York anti-gun extremist, Mike Bloomberg. That kind of money buys a lot of incompetence, and a lot of anti-gun votes. (It’s interesting to note that local anti-gun groups contribute only tiny amounts of money to local candidates demonstrating how weak their grass roots actually are.)

So what does all this have to do with a tax on health insurance? Simple. The same anti-gun leftists who rammed through bills to make it a crime to safeguard a firearm for a friend (SB 941) and to allow confiscations of firearms with no accusation of a crime and no due process (SB 719) are the ones who are pushing for taxes on one of your most expensive needs, health insurance.

They want this money to fund their pet projects, even though over and over we have seen them squander millions through ineptitude and cronyism and a clear inability to deal with any matter concerning health care. If they are able to keep this windfall they will have very little to occupy their time except more gun control.

Governor Kate Brown and House Majority leader Jennifer Williamson have both publicly stated that they plan to use the short session to ram through more gun restrictions.

“If voters affirm the funding plan, though, Williamson has other priorities that she may have time to press, including making another push for increased restrictions on gun ownership.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a fellow Democrat, renewed her support for further restricting gun ownership in the wake of the October shooting at a country music festival in Las Vegas.”  Portland Tribune Oct 31 2017

As you know, they are both recipients of massive donations from Mike Bloomberg and are committed to doing his bidding. So you can see, if the Democrats get to keep this money, they will have little to keep them busy except to work on additional attacks on your rights.

We strongly urge you to keep them busy with other things and vote “no” on Measure 101.

OFF wishes you and yours a happy and free New Year and thanks you for your support fighting for freedom.

 

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Reciprocity Passes… With a Poison Pill

12.06.17 

Today the “National Reciprocity Act” passed the US House on a 231-198 vote.

While national reciprocity would be a good thing for gun owners, and override Oregon’s ridiculous refusal to recognize a single other state’s concealed handgun license, the bill was coupled with terrible legislation dubbed “Fix NICS”.

Unfortunately “Fix NICS” vastly expands the flawed and failed Brady background check law and will no doubt ensnare many more people who will be denied their right to purchase a firearm as a result of faulty background checks.

“Fix NICS” was supported by anti-gun organizations as well as NRA and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, always a troubling alliance.

Ultimately no amount of legislation is going to change the fact that human error is responsible for the mess that the background check system is.

Now many people who are in no way dangerous or “criminal” are going to be added to the list of prohibited people. Nothing in the legislation provides any recourse for persons falsely denied.

The bill faces a very uncertain future in the Senate where it is quite possible that the reciprocity language could be stripped out leaving us with only more gun control.

It that happens, when the bill goes back to the House, the supporters of reciprocity will have a hard time opposing the new gun control they voted for.